Electronic Devices Having Circuitry in Housing Attachment Structures

ABSTRACT

An electronic device housing may be formed from housing members. A first housing member may form a display cover layer that overlaps pixels. During operation, the pixels may display an image that is viewable through the display cover layer. The second housing member may have a rear wall portion and a sidewall. A band may be coupled to the sidewall or other portion of the second housing member. The first and second housing members may be attached together using a housing member attachment structure. The housing member attachment structure may have layers of adhesive and printed circuit structures. The printed circuit structures may include metal traces that form an antenna and that form capacitive force sensor electrodes on opposing sides of a compressible member.

FIELD

This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, toelectronic devices with wireless communications circuitry.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices are often provided with wireless communicationscapabilities. To satisfy consumer demand for small form factor wirelessdevices, it may be desirable to form antennas in compact electronicdevice enclosures. This can make it difficult to achieve desired antennaperformance goals. For example, it can be challenging to achievesatisfactory antenna coverage in devices with conductive electronicdevice housing structures.

SUMMARY

An electronic device may have a housing. The housing may surroundelectrical components in an interior region of the electronic device.The electrical components may include sensors, displays, and otherinput-output devices, control circuitry, and communications circuitrysuch as radio-frequency transceiver circuitry for handling antennasignals.

The electronic device may have opposing front and rear faces. A displaymay be provided on the front face. A first housing member may form atransparent display cover layer that overlaps an array of pixels in thedisplay so that images on the array of pixels can be viewed through thetransparent display cover layer. A second housing member may have asidewall portion that extends between housing structures on the frontand rear faces. If desired, a band may be coupled to the sidewallportion or other portion of the second housing member.

The first and second housing members may be attached to each other toform the housing for the electronic device. The first and second housingmembers may, for example, be joined together using a housing memberattachment structure. The housing member attachment structure may havelayers of adhesive and one or more printed circuits. In an illustrativearrangement, the housing member attachment structure may be used toattach a surface of the display cover layer to an opposing portion of ahousing sidewall.

The housing member attachment structure may include printed circuitstructures. The printed circuit structures may include polymer substratestructures with metal traces. The metal traces on the printed circuitstructures may include metal traces that form an antenna that iselectrically coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. Themetal traces on the printed circuit structures may also form first andsecond force sensor electrodes. The force sensor electrodes may becapacitive force sensor structures for a capacitive force sensor and maybe formed on opposing sides of a compressible member such as anelastomeric member in the housing member attachment structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an illustrative electronic device inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are diagrams of illustrative antennas in anelectronic device in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative force sensor inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of illustrative antenna and force sensing circuitryin accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device having a housing member attachment structure withmetal traces for forming an antenna or other circuitry in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device having a housing member attachment structure withmultiple layers of metal traces for forming force sensor structures andother circuitry in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative housingattachment structure having printed circuit layers with multiple layersof metal traces for forming force sensor structures and antennastructures in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device with a flexible printed circuit that forms part of ahousing member attachment structure and that has a portion that iscoupled to the underside of a display cover layer in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of structures for coupling anantenna resonating element on a flexible printed circuit to a conductivehousing structure such as a metal housing wall in accordance with anembodiment.

FIGS. 15, 16, and 17 are top views of illustrative electronic deviceswith antennas in accordance with illustrative embodiments.

FIGS. 18, 19, and 20 are cross-sectional side views of electronicdevices with illustrative housing member attachment structures inaccordance with embodiments.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device with a flexible display that has bent portions inaccordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Electronic devices may be provided with wireless communicationscircuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antennashaving antenna resonating elements formed from metal traces on polymersubstrates such as flexible printed circuit substrates and othersupporting structures. The antenna structures of the wirelesscommunications circuitry may be incorporated into a housing memberattachment structure. The housing member attachment structure may beused in joining housing structures together. For example, the housingmember attachment structure may be used in attaching a first housingmember such as a display cover layer to a second housing member such asa housing sidewall or may be used to couple a housing member such as ahousing sidewall structure to a housing member such as a rear housingwall structure. The housing member attachment structure may includeadhesive for attaching one housing member to another.

In some configurations, a housing member attachment structure mayinclude a capacitive force sensor. The force sensor may have capacitivesensor electrodes that are formed from patterned metal layers on theflexible printed circuits and other substrates that are used in formingthe antennas. For example, a housing member attachment structure mayinclude flexible printed circuit structures or other flexible polymersubstrates with metal traces that serve both as antenna resonatingelement structures and force sensor electrode structures. Configurationsin which a housing member attachment structure includes an antennaresonating element and does not include force sensor structures may alsobe used.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice. Device 10 may have a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12 mayhave opposing front and rear faces FR and RR and sidewalls W. As shownin FIG. 1, housing 12 may enclose interior 46 of device 10. Device 10may include electrical components 50 in interior 46 (e.g., integratedcircuits, sensors and other input-output devices, control circuitry,display layers such as organic light-emitting diode panels or otherdisplay layers, etc.). Electrical components 50 may, if desired, bemounted on printed circuits such as printed circuit 48 (e.g., flexibleprinted circuits and/or printed circuits formed from rigid printedcircuit board material). In some configurations, a display may be formedon rear face RR. In other configurations, no display is present on rearface RR. In configurations in which no display is present on rear faceRR, the portion of housing 12 on rear face RR may be formed from metal(e.g., a stainless steel or aluminum layer) and/or transparentstructures (e.g., glass, sapphire, etc.). For example, housing 12 onrear face RR may be formed from glass that is covered with opaquematerial (e.g., ink) and/or may be formed from metal with openings inwhich glass, sapphire, or other transparent window structures areformed. If desired, device 10 may have a rear housing wall formed frommetal with optional optical windows and may have optional metal sidewallportions that extend upwardly from the rear housing wall to formsidewall W.

Device 10 may be a wristwatch device having a main unit (control unit)formed from housing 12 and the components in interior 46 of housing 12and a band such as band 36 (sometimes referred to as a strap, wearableband, wrist band, etc.) that is configured to be worn on a body part ofa user such as a user's wrist. Display 14 may be coupled to housing 12of the main unit (e.g., display 14 may be mounted on front face FR).Control circuitry, communications circuitry, and input-output devicesmay be housed in interior 46 of the main unit (e.g., an interior regionformed by housing 12). Band 36 may be coupled to sidewall W. Forexample, band 36 may have a first portion coupled to one side of housing12 (e.g., a metal sidewall and/or rear housing wall or other housingstructure in the housing of the main unit) and a second portion coupledto an opposing side of housing 12 (e.g., a metal sidewall and/or rearhousing wall or other housing structure on an opposing side of thehousing of the main unit). Clasps 38 may be formed at the ends of thefirst and second portions, respectively. When band 36 is wrapped arounda user's wrist, clasps 38 may mate to secure device 10 to the user'swrist. Clasps 38 may be magnetic clasps, clasps formed from mating claspmechanisms (e.g., tangs and holes), hook-and-loop fasteners, or otherstructures for closing band 36 around a user's wrist or other body part.

Band 36 may be flexible, which allows band 36 to be wrapped around auser's wrist. For example, band 36 may be formed from fabric, flexiblepolymer, leather, or other flexible materials, and/or band 36 may havemultiple hinged segments. The hinged segments, which may sometimes bereferred to as band segments or links, may be formed from rigidmaterials (glass, rigid polymer, metal, etc.) and/or may be formed fromflexible materials (e.g., fabric, flexible polymer, etc.). Hinges may beprovided between adjacent links in band 36 and may include metal hinges,fabric hinges, hinges formed from polymer and/or metal or othermaterials, and/or other hinge structures. The hinges may be used toallow band segments to rotate with respect to each other and withrespect to the main unit of device 10. If desired, band 36 may bedetachable.

Housing 12 of device 10 may have multiple portions. For example, housing12 may have a first portion such as portion 12-1 and a second portionsuch as portion 12-2 (as an example). Separate housing portions ofdevice 10 may be coupled using housing member attachment structures suchas housing member attachment structure 52 of FIG. 1. Housing memberattachment structure 52, which may sometimes be referred to as a housingmember joining structure, housing member coupling structure, housingattachment structure, etc., may include adhesive and other structuresfor joining housing structures together. For example, housing memberattachment structure 52 of FIG. 1 may have a ring shape or othersuitable shape that joins portions 12-1 and 12-2 and thereby holds theseseparate housing portions together to form housing 12 for device 10.

Housing member attachment structure 52 may include adhesive for joiningmembers 12-1 and 12-2. To enhance device functionality, circuitry may beembedded in housing member attachment structure 52. For example, printedcircuit substrates or other substrates with metal traces for formingforce sensor circuitry and/or antenna circuitry may be incorporated intohousing member attachment structure 52. In some configurations, antennacircuitry may be mounted on protruding portions of these substrates(e.g., portions of a polymer substrate such as a printed circuitsubstrate or other supporting structure in housing member attachmentstructure 52 that protrudes outwardly from the joint between adjacenthousing members).

A schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device such as device10 of FIG. 1 with housing attachment structures having circuitry such aswireless communications and force sensing circuitry is shown in FIG. 2.Device 10 may be a cellular telephone, tablet computer, laptop computer,wristwatch device or other wearable device, a television, a stand-alonecomputer display or other monitor, a computer display with an embeddedcomputer (e.g., a desktop computer), a system embedded in a vehicle,kiosk, or other embedded electronic device, a media player, or otherelectronic equipment.

Device 10 may include control circuitry 20. Control circuitry 20 mayinclude storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation ofdevice 10. The storage and processing circuitry may include storage suchas nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or otherelectrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form asolid-state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamicrandom-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry 20may be used to gather input from sensors and other input devices and maybe used to control output devices. The processing circuitry may be basedon one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signalprocessors, baseband processors and other wireless communicationscircuits, power management units, audio chips, application specificintegrated circuits, etc.

To support communications between device 10 and external equipment,control circuitry 20 may communicate using communications circuitry 22.Circuitry 22, which may sometimes be referred to as control circuitryand/or control and communications circuitry, may include wirelesscommunications circuitry 34 to support bidirectional wirelesscommunications between device 10 and external equipment over a wirelesslink. Circuitry 22 may also support wired communications.

Wireless communications circuitry 34 may include radio-frequency (RF)transceiver circuitry 90 formed from one or more integrated circuits,power amplifier circuitry, low-noise input amplifiers, passive RFcomponents, one or more antennas such as antenna 40, transmission linessuch as transmission line 192, and other circuitry for handling RFwireless signals.

Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry 90 may include wireless local areanetwork transceiver circuitry to handle 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands forWiFi® (IEEE 802.11) communications and may include Bluetooth® circuitryto handle the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® communications band. If desired,circuitry 90 may handle other bands such as cellular telephone bands(e.g., bands from 700-2700 MHz and/or other cellular telephonefrequencies), near-field communications bands (e.g., 13.56 MHz),millimeter wave bands (e.g., communications at 10-400 GHz such ascommunications at a 60 GHz millimeter wave communications band,), and/orother communications bands. Configurations in which radio-frequencytransceiver circuitry 90 handles wireless local area network bands(e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) may sometimes be described herein as anexample. In general, however, circuitry 90 may be configured to coverany suitable communications bands of interest.

Wireless circuitry 34 may include one or more antennas such as antenna40. Antennas such as antenna 40 may be formed using any suitable antennatypes. For example, antennas in device 10 may include antennas withresonating elements that are formed from loop antenna structures, patchantenna structures, inverted-F antenna structures, open and closed slotantenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, helicalantenna structures, monopole antennas, dipoles, Yagi (Yagi-Uda) antennastructures, hybrids of these designs, etc. If desired, one or moreantennas 40 may be cavity backed antennas. Parasitic elements anddirectors may be included in antennas 40 to adjust antenna performance.In some configurations, device 10 may have isolation elements betweenrespective antennas 40 to help avoid antenna-to-antenna cross-talk.Different types of antennas may be used for different bands andcombinations of bands. For example, one type of antenna may be used informing a local wireless link antenna and another type of antenna may beused in forming a remote wireless link antenna. In some configurations,different antennas may be used in handling different bands fortransceiver circuitry 90. Each antenna 40 may cover one or more bands.As an example, antennas in circuitry 34 may include dual band wirelesslocal area network antennas.

Each antenna 40 in device 10 may be coupled to transceiver circuitry 90using an antenna feed. As shown in FIG. 2, radio-frequency transceivercircuitry 90 may be coupled to antenna feed 202 of antenna 40 usingtransmission line 192. Antenna feed 202 may include a positive antennafeed terminal such as positive antenna feed terminal 198 and may have aground antenna feed terminal such as ground antenna feed terminal 200.Transmission line 192 may be formed from metal traces on a printedcircuit (e.g., a rigid printed circuit formed from fiberglass-filledepoxy or other rigid printed circuit material or a flexible printedcircuit formed from a layer of polyimide or a sheet of other flexibleprinted circuit substrate material) or may be formed from otherconductive structures and may have a positive transmission line signalpath such as path 194 that is coupled to terminal 198 and a groundtransmission line signal path such as path 196 that is coupled toterminal 200. Transmission line paths such as path 192 may be used toroute antenna signals within device 10. Transmission lines in device 10may include coaxial cable paths, microstrip transmission lines,stripline transmission lines, edge-coupled microstrip transmissionlines, edge-coupled stripline transmission lines, transmission linesformed from combinations of transmission lines of these types, etc.Filter circuitry, switching circuitry, impedance matching circuitry, andother circuitry may be interposed within transmission lines such astransmission line 192 and/or circuits such as these may be incorporatedinto antenna 40 (e.g., to support antenna tuning, to support operationin desired frequency bands, etc.). During operation, control circuitry20 may use transceiver circuitry 90 and antenna(s) 40 to transmit andreceive data wirelessly. Control circuitry 20 may, for example, receivestreaming media wirelessly using transceiver circuitry 90 and antenna(s)40 and may play the media through a speaker in device 10, may handlecellular telephone calls, may transmit and receive text messages, emailmessages, and other messages, and/or may perform other communicationstasks.

Device 10 may include input-output devices such as devices 24.Input-output devices 24 may be used in gathering user input, ingathering information on the environment surrounding the user, and/or inproviding a user with output. Devices 24 may include one or moredisplays such as display(s) 14. Display 14 may be an organiclight-emitting diode display, a liquid crystal display, anelectrophoretic display, an electrowetting display, a plasma display, amicroelectromechanical systems display, a display having a pixel arrayformed from crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diode dies(sometimes referred to as microLEDs), and/or other display. Display 14may have an array of pixels configured to display images for a user. Thedisplay pixels may be formed on one or more substrates such as one ormore flexible substrates (e.g., display 14 may be formed from a flexibledisplay layer). Conductive electrodes for a capacitive touch sensor indisplay 14 and/or an array of indium tin oxide electrodes or othertransparent conductive electrodes overlapping display 14 may be used toform a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor for display 14 (e.g.,display 14 may be a touch sensitive display).

Sensors 16 in input-output devices 24 may include force sensors such asforce sensor 26. Force sensors such as force sensor 26 may includestrain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, orother force sensors. Sensors 16 may also include audio sensors such asmicrophones, touch and/or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors(e.g., a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor integrated into display14, a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor overlapping display 14,and/or a touch sensor that forms a button, trackpad, or other inputdevice not associated with a display), and other sensors. If desired,sensors 16 may include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emitand detect light, ultrasonic sensors, optical touch sensors, opticalproximity sensors, and/or other touch sensors and/or proximity sensors,monochromatic and color ambient light sensors, image sensors,fingerprint sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuringthree-dimensional non-contact gestures (“air gestures”), pressuresensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation, and/or motion(e.g., accelerometers, magnetic sensors such as compass sensors,gyroscopes, and/or inertial measurement units that contain some or allof these sensors), health sensors, radio-frequency sensors, depthsensors (e.g., structured light sensors and/or depth sensors based onstereo imaging devices that capture three-dimensional images), opticalsensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging(lidar) sensors that gather time-of-flight measurements, humiditysensors, moisture sensors, gaze tracking sensors, and/or other sensors.In some arrangements, device 10 may use sensors 16 and/or otherinput-output devices to gather user input. For example, buttons may beused to gather button press input, touch sensors overlapping displayscan be used for gathering user touch screen input, touch pads may beused in gathering touch input, microphones may be used for gatheringaudio input, accelerometers may be used in monitoring when a fingercontacts an input surface and may therefore be used to gather fingerpress input, etc.

If desired, electronic device 10 may include additional components (see,e.g., other devices 18 in input-output devices 24). The additionalcomponents may include haptic output devices, audio output devices suchas speakers, light-emitting diodes for status indicators, light sourcessuch as light-emitting diodes that illuminate portions of a housingand/or display structure, other optical output devices, and/or othercircuitry for gathering input and/or providing output. Device 10 mayalso include a battery or other energy storage device, connector portsfor supporting wired communication with ancillary equipment and forreceiving wired power, and other circuitry. Device 10 may, if desired,include power circuits for transmitting and/or receiving wired and/orwireless power and charging batteries or other energy storage devices indevice 10. For example, device 10 may include a coil and rectifier toreceive wireless power that is provided to circuitry in device 10.

A front (plan) view of an illustrative electronic device is shown inFIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, device 10 may include housing 12. Housing 12may include structures formed from glass, polymer, metal, wood or othernatural materials, sapphire or other crystalline material, ceramic,fabric, other materials, and/or combinations of these materials. Device10 may have a front face FR, an opposing rear face RR, and a sidewall Wthat runs around the peripheral edge of device 10 and that extendsbetween front face FR and rear face RR. The upper and opposing loweredges of device 10 may run parallel to each other and parallel to the Xaxis of FIG. 2. The opposing left and right edges may run parallel toeach other and parallel to the Y axis of FIG. 2. The portions of housing12 on front face FR and rear face RR may be planar (e.g., two parallelplanes offset by a distance along the Z axis) and/or may include curvedportions. For example, the outer surfaces (and, if desired, the innersurfaces) of housing 12 on front face FR and rear face RR may havecurved cross-sectional profiles. If desired, a band such as band 36 maybe coupled to housing 12.

In the example of FIG. 3, display 14 covers front face FR. Portions ofdisplay 14 may also cover some or all of sidewall W. Rear face RR may befree of display pixels and/or may be partly or fully covered by pixelsthat display an image. In addition to housing structures that coverfront face FR, rear face RR, and sidewall W, housing 12 may haveportions that form internal supporting structures (e.g., a frame,midplate member, etc.).

In some arrangements, housing 12 has transparent structures (e.g., clearglass, polymer, sapphire, etc.) that overlap light-emitting components.For example, a rectangular housing member with rounded corners or othertransparent portion of housing 12 may serve as a display cover layerthat covers pixels in display 14. The display cover layer may coverfront face FR and, if desired, other portions of device 10 (e.g., partor all of sidewall W, part or all of rear face RR, etc.).

In an illustrative configuration, housing 12 may have a transparentdisplay cover layer that overlaps display 14 on front face FR and atleast part of sidewall W and may have transparent window structures thatoverlap optical components (e.g., a heart rate sensor with alight-emitting diode and photodetector and/or other light-emittingand/or light detecting devices). Other portions of housing 12 may beformed from opaque material (e.g., metal, etc.). Other arrangements maybe used if desired (e.g., arrangements in which some or all of rear faceRR contains an array of pixels for displaying an image, etc.). Touchsensor circuitry such as two-dimensional capacitive touch sensorcircuitry may be incorporated into display 14 as a separate touch sensorpanel overlapping display pixels or as part of a display panel formingdisplay 14.

Device 10 of FIG. 3 has a rectangular outline (e.g., a square periphery)with four rounded corners. If desired, device 10 may have other shapes.For example, device 10 may have a shape that folds and unfolds along abend (folding) axis (e.g., using a hinge to couple portions of housing12) and may include a display that overlaps or that does not overlap thebend axis, may have a shape with an oval footprint or circular outline,may have a cubic shape, may have a pyramidal, cylindrical, spherical, orconical shape, or may have other suitable shapes. The configuration ofFIG. 3 is illustrative.

If desired, openings may be formed in the surfaces of device 10. Forexample, a speaker port and optical windows for an ambient light sensor,an infrared proximity sensor, and a depth sensor may be formed inhousing 12. A fingerprint sensor, touch sensor button, force-sensitivebutton, or other sensor that operates through display 14 may, ifdesired, be formed under a portion of display 14. Device 10 may be freeof connector openings or may have an opening for a connector (e.g., adigital data connector, analog signal connector, and/or powerconnector). Openings in housing 12 may be omitted when power is receivedwirelessly or is received through contacts that are flush with thesurface of device 10 and/or when data is transferred and receivedwirelessly using wireless communications circuitry in circuitry 22 orthrough contacts that are flush with the exterior surface of device 10.

Illustrative configurations for antennas in device 10 are shown in FIGS.4, 5, 6, and 7.

In the example of FIG. 4, antenna 40 is an inverted-F antenna. Antenna40 of FIG. 4 may include antenna resonating element 60 and antennaground 62. The antenna resonating arm forming element 60 may have one ormore branches and may run parallel to ground 62 or may have othershapes. The configuration of FIG. 4 is illustrative. Antenna 40 may befed at an antenna feed formed from positive antenna feed terminal 198and ground antenna feed terminal 200.

In the example of FIG. 5, antenna 40 is a monopole antenna (e.g., afolded monopole) having monopole antenna resonating element 64 andantenna ground 62. Antenna 40 of FIG. 5 may be fed using an antenna feedformed from positive antenna feed terminal 198 on element 64 and groundantenna feed terminal 200 on antenna ground 62.

FIG. 6 shows how antenna 40 may be a dipole antenna having dipoleantenna resonating elements 66 and 68 coupled respectively to positiveantenna feed terminal 198 and ground antenna feed terminal 200.

If desired, antenna 40 may be a patch antenna, as shown in FIG. 7. Inantenna 40 of FIG. 7, patch antenna resonating element 70 has verticalleg 72, which extends toward an antenna ground plane (ground 62) andthat is coupled to positive antenna feed terminal 198. The feed ofantenna 40 of FIG. 7 also has a corresponding ground antenna feedterminal 200.

Other types of antenna (e.g., Yagi antennas, slot antennas, otherdesigns, hybrid antennas, antennas formed from multiple antennaresonating elements configured to implement beam steering antennaarrays, etc.) may also be used in device 10. The examples of FIGS. 4, 5,6, and 7 are illustrative.

Conductive structures for antenna 40 (e.g., the resonating elementsand/or antenna grounds of antenna 40) may be formed from metal traces onprinted circuits or other substrates, wires, patterned metal foil, metalhousing structures (e.g., metal portions of housing 12), and/or otherconductive structures in device 10.

Antenna structures (resonating elements, antenna ground structures,etc.) may be formed as part of housing member attachment structure 52.For example, one or more printed circuits may be included in housingmember attachment structure 52 and these printed circuits may includemetal antenna traces (e.g., metal traces for resonating elements,ground, and/or other portions of antenna 40). In addition toincorporating these antenna structures into housing member attachmentstructure 52, metal traces and other circuitry for other electricalcomponents may be incorporated into housing member attachment structure52. For example, metal traces on a printed circuit or other conductivestructures associated with force sensor 26, other sensors 16, and/orother input-output devices 24 may be incorporated into housing memberattachment structure 52 (e.g., with or without antenna structures forantenna 40).

Conductive structures for force sensor 26 may include, for example,capacitive force sensor electrodes. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional sideview of force sensor 26 in an illustrative configuration in which forcesensor 26 is a capacitive force sensor having respective first andsecond capacitive force sensor electrodes 74 and 76. Electrodes 74 and76 may be electrically coupled to capacitive sensor circuitry (e.g., acapacitive sensor integrated circuit or one or more other components 50in interior 46) using terminals 80. Compressible dielectric material 78(e.g., silicone or other elastomeric polymer, foam, or othercompressible polymer) may be interposed between electrodes 74 and 76.During operation, compressive force may be applied to sensor 26 indirections 79, thereby compressing material 78 and reducing theseparation H between electrodes 74 and 76. The resulting rise incapacitance between electrodes 74 and 76 can be measured by thecapacitive sensing circuitry coupled to terminals 80, thereby producinga measurement of the amount of applied force on sensor 26.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing how a force sensor and antenna maybe formed using conductive structures such as first electrode 74 andsecond electrode 76. As shown in FIG. 9, capacitive sensor circuitrysuch as capacitive sensor integrated circuit 82 may be coupled toelectrodes 74 and 76 using inductors 84. Inductors 84 may allowcapacitance measurements to be made by circuit 82 for the capacitiveforce sensor formed from electrodes 74 and 76 and interposed compressivedielectric material 78. Inductors 84 may help prevent higher frequencysignals such as radio-frequency antenna signals associated withoperation of radio-frequency transceiver circuitry 90 from reachingcircuit 82 and potentially interfering with the operation of circuit 82.Capacitors 86 may be used to couple transceiver 90 to electrodes 74 and76. In addition to serving as parallel plates in a parallel platecapacitor for a capacitive force sensor, the metal traces of electrodes74 and 76 (and/or adjacent traces on a shared dielectric substrate suchas a shared polymer substrate in a printed circuit) may be patterned toform antenna 40 (e.g., an antenna resonating element and, if desired, anantenna ground). During operation, capacitors 86 allow antenna signalsfor the antenna to pass to and from transceiver 90, while inductors 84block antenna signals from circuit 82. During operation of circuit 82,capacitors 86 may block lower-frequency capacitance sensing signalsassociated with circuit 82 (e.g., to prevent these signals frominterfering with use of the antenna by transceiver circuitry 90).

If desired, force sensing structures and/or antenna structures such asthe illustrative structures of FIG. 9 may be incorporated into housingattachment structure 52, as shown in FIG. 3.

Consider, as an example, the illustrative arrangement of FIG. 10. Asshown in FIG. 10, first housing member 12-1 may be coupled to secondhousing member 12-2 using housing member attachment structure 52.Housing member 12-1 may be a display cover layer and housing member 12-2may include structures forming sidewall W and a rear housing wall,housing member 12-2 may form sidewall W and housing member 12-1 may forma rear wall and/or a sidewall for device 10, and/or housing members 12-1and 12-3 may form other housing structures. Housing member attachmentstructure 52 may include a printed circuit such as printed circuit 92sandwiched between first adhesive layer 94 and second adhesive layer 96.Adhesive layer 94 may attach housing member attachment structure 52 andprinted circuit 92 to member 12-1. Adhesive layer 96 may attach housingmember attachment structure 52 and printed circuit 92 to member 12-2. Inthis way, housing member attachment structure 52 may attach members 12-1and 12-2 together.

Printed circuit 92 may have one or more dielectric substrate layers 100(e.g., one or more polyimide layers or other layers in a polymersubstrate, etc.) and one or more layers of metal traces 98 for formingcapacitive sensor electrodes and/or antenna structures (e.g., an antennaresonating element, an antenna ground, etc.). As an example, capacitivesensor electrodes may be omitted from printed circuit 92, metal traces98 may be configured to form an antenna resonating element for antenna40, and an antenna ground for antenna 40 may be formed from housingmember 12-2 (e.g., a metal sidewall and/or metal rear housing wall)and/or may be formed from other antenna ground structures (e.g., groundtraces on printed circuit 92, metal structures in interior 46, etc.).Because antenna 40 is not located deep within interior 46 of device 10,antenna 40 may efficiently transmit and receive antenna signals duringoperation over a desired range of angles without being blocked bysurrounding conductive housing structures.

Another illustrative arrangement is shown in FIG. 11. As with theexample of FIG. 10, first housing member 12-1 of FIG. 11 may be coupledto second housing member 12-2 of FIG. 11 using housing member attachmentstructure 52. As shown in FIG. 11, housing member attachment structure52 may include multiple printed circuits. For example, housing memberattachment structure 52 may include first printed circuit 92-1, whichhas one or more substrate layer(s) 100-1 and one or more layers of metaltraces 98-1, and second printed circuit 92-2, which has one or moresubstrates layers 100-2 and one or more layers of metal traces 98-2.Printed circuits 92-1 and 92-2 may be attached to opposing sides ofcompressible member 78 (e.g., an elastomeric material such as siliconeor other polymer, foam, and/or other compressible dielectric material)using the material of member 78 and/or interposed adhesive layers.Printed circuit 92-1 may be coupled to member 12-1 using adhesive layer94. Printed circuit 92-2 may be coupled to member 12-2 using adhesivelayer 96.

Metal traces 98-1 and/or 98-2 may be configured to form force sensorstructures and/or antenna structures. For example, metal traces 98-1 mayform a first capacitive sensor electrode for sensor 26 and metal traces98-2 may form a second capacitive sensor electrode for sensor 26 asshown by electrodes 74 and 76 of FIG. 9, which are coupled to capacitivesensor circuit 82. Traces 98-1 and/or traces 98-2 may also be used informing an antenna resonating element or other antenna structures forantenna 40 and may be coupled to transceiver circuitry 90 as shown inFIG. 9.

If desired, printed circuit 92-1 and/or printed circuit 92-2 may haveinwardly directed protrusions such as portion 92-1′ and/or protrusion92-2′ that protrude into interior 46. In this interior location, antenna40 may operate by transmitting and receiving antenna signals throughdielectric structures in housing 12 and/or dielectric material inhousing member attachment structure 52.

During operation, the antenna formed using housing member attachmentstructure 52 may be used to handle wireless communications for device10. Control circuitry 20 may also use force sensor 26 (e.g., the forcesensor formed from electrodes 74 and 76, which may be formed in printedcircuits 92-1 and 92-2 of FIG. 11) to gather force sensor data. Forexample, force measurements (e.g., measurements of compressive force oncompressible dielectric member 78 of FIG. 11) may be made to detect whena user is pressing on member 12-1 with a finger or other externalobject, may be made to detect other user force input, and/or may be madeto measure other forces.

Another illustrative configuration for housing member attachmentstructure 52 is shown in FIG. 12. In the example of FIG. 12, printedcircuit 92-1 has three polymer substrate layers 100-1 surrounding twoembedded layers of metal traces 98-1. Printed circuit 92-2 has threepolymer substrate layers 100-2 surrounding two embedded layers of metaltraces 98-2. These substrate layers and metal traces may be extendedinwardly (e.g., into interior 46), as illustrated by protruding metaltraces 98-1′ and 98-2′ of FIG. 12 and as described in connection withprotruding portion 92-1′ of FIG. 11.

With one illustrative embodiment, layers 100-1 and 100-2 are formed froma dielectric such as polyimide or other polymer flexible printed circuitsubstrate material. The outermost (upper) layer of metal traces 98-1 maybe used in forming grounding and signal routing paths (sometimesreferred to as ground and routing or ground and routing structures) forsensor 26. The innermost (lower) layer of metal traces 98-1 may be usedin forming electrode 74. The outermost (lower) layer of metal traces98-2 may be used in forming grounding and signal routing paths forsensor 26. The innermost (upper) layer of metal traces 98-2 may be usedin forming electrode 76.

Antenna 40 may be formed in the patterned metal of layers 98-1 and/or98-2 of FIG. 12 and may be located in the joint formed by structures 52between opposing housing members 12-1 and 12-2 and/or may be formed frommetal traces in adjacent portions of printed circuits 92-1 and/or 92-2such as metal traces in protruding portions 98-1′ and/or 98-2′. In oneillustrative configuration, an antenna resonating element and/or otherantenna structures for antenna 40 is formed from the same metal tracesthat are used in forming electrode 74 and/or 76. For example, some orall of an antenna resonating element may form some or all of acapacitive force sensor electrode and these conductive structures mayshare a common polymer substrate and/or other shared supportingstructures. In another illustrative configuration, an antenna resonatingelement or other antenna structures for antenna 40 may be separate fromelectrodes 74 and 76. For example, a printed circuit in structure 52 mayhave a first portion with a polymer substrate that supports metal tracesforming electrode 74 and/or 76 and may have a second portion (e.g., aprotrusion that protrudes towards interior 46) in which a protrudingportion of the same polymer substrate supports metal traces that form anantenna resonating element for antenna 40.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device 10 that includes housing members 12-1 and 12-2 thathave been joined using housing member attachment structure 52. Structure52 may include adhesive layers 94 and 96 for coupling printed circuit 92between opposing housing surfaces on opposing portions of housingmembers 12-1 and 12-2 and thereby attaching housing members 12-1 and12-2. Housing member 12-1 may be a layer of clear material such as clearglass, sapphire, or other clear material that forms a display coverlayer for an array of display pixels (see, e.g., pixel array 14P ofdisplay 14, which may display an image that is viewable through housingmember 12-1). Housing member 12-2 may be formed from clear materials(e.g., glass, etc.) and/or opaque materials (e.g., metal, etc.). Asshown in FIG. 13, the inner surface of housing member 12-1 in edge area106 may be covered with a layer of opaque masking material such as blackink 104 to hide internal components from view. Adhesive layer 102 may beused to attach inwardly protruding portion 92′ of printed circuit 92 tothe inner surface of member 12-1 in area 106. Antenna 40 may be formedfrom metal traces in printed circuit 92 (e.g., in the portion of printedcircuit 92 that protrudes into edge area 106.).

It may be desirable to ground traces on printed circuit 92 to housing12. For example, member 12-2 of housing 12 may be formed of metal andmay serve as antenna ground. Ground antenna feed terminal 100 may beshorted to housing member 12-2 using a signal path formed from metaltraces in printed circuit 92. An illustrative arrangement forelectrically coupling antenna circuitry on printed circuit 92 to housingmember 12-2 is shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14, a supportstructure such as structure 114 may be used to support a tail portion offlexible printed circuit 92. The rest of flexible printed circuit 92may, if desired, form part of housing member attachment structure 52 andmay be sandwiched between opposing portions of housing members 12-1 and12-2. Support structure 114 may be formed from one or more metal membersand may be shorted to housing member 12-2. A coating such as coating 116may be formed on support structure 114 to help form a low-resistanceOhmic contact between structure 114 and housing member 12-2. Coating 116may be formed from a metal such as gold that is resistant to oxidation.Screw 110 or other attachment mechanisms (e.g., conductive adhesive,solder, welds, etc.) may be used to mechanically and electrically couplesupport structure 114 to housing member 12-2. Screw 112 or otherattachment mechanisms may be use to couple the metal traces in printedcircuit 92 to support structure 114 and thereby electrically couple theantenna structures of printed circuit 92 to housing member 12-2. Otherarrangements may be used for coupling signal paths on printed circuitssuch as printed circuit 92 to housing 12, if desired. The arrangement ofFIG. 14 is illustrative.

FIGS. 15, 16, and 17 are top views of device 10 showing illustrativeconfigurations for incorporating antennas 40 into device 10 usinghousing member attachment structure 52.

In the example of FIG. 15, metal traces in housing attachment structure52 have been used to form first and second antennas 40 running alongopposing upper and lower edges (and parts of the left and right edges)of housing 12. These antennas may be used, for example, in an antennadiversity scheme in which control circuitry 20 dynamically selects anantenna for use based on received signal strength information or othersuitable antenna selection criteria.

In the example of FIG. 16, there are four antennas 40 formed from themetal traces in housing member attachment structure 52. Each of the fourantennas 40 in this example has a respective antenna resonating elementthat runs along a respective edge of housing 12.

As shown in FIG. 17, device 10 may include antennas 40 that are arrangedin one or more phased antenna arrays configured to perform beam steeringoperations. Antennas 40 may be formed from housing member attachmentstructure 52. Antennas 40 of FIG. 17 may run along one or more of theedges of housing 12. Antennas 40 may be dipole millimeter wave antennas,patch antennas, Yagi antennas, and/or other antennas.

FIGS. 18, 19, and 20 are cross-sectional side views of device 10 showingillustrative locations for housing member attachment structure 52 (e.g.,a housing member attachment structure that includes antenna resonatingelement(s) for one or more antennas 40 and one or more force sensors).

In the example of FIG. 18, housing member 12-2 has portions that extendupward from a rear wall portion to form sidewall W. Housing attachmentstructure 52 may be formed between peripheral portions of housing member12-1 (e.g., a display cover layer) and housing member 12-2. A forcesensor formed from housing attachment structure 52 may sense downwardpressure in direction 120.

In the example of FIG. 19, housing 12 includes a display cover layerformed from housing member 12A, a sidewall W formed from housing member12B, and a rear housing wall formed from housing member 12C. Housingmember attachment structures 52 may be interposed between member 12A and12B and/or may be interposed between member 12B and 12C. Downward forcein direction 120 may be sensed using force sensors 26 in one or both ofthe housing member attachment structures.

In the example of FIG. 20, housing member attachment structure 52 hasbeen formed around the periphery of housing member 12-1 (e.g., a displaycover layer over pixel array 14P) and may be configured to detect shearforces (e.g., pressure that pushes member 12-1 against the inner surfaceof housing member 12-2 in direction 122, thereby compressingcompressible force sensor dielectric material in structure 52).

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of device 10 in anillustrative configuration in which pixel array 14P is formed from aflexible display layer (e.g., a flexible organic light-emitting diodedisplay substrate). As shown in FIG. 21, pixel array 14P may be bent.For example, pixel array 14P may be bent along one or more peripheraledges of pixel array 14P and/or across the middle of pixel array 14P.This allows pixel array 14P to conform to a curved inner surface of adisplay cover layer formed from housing member 12-1. Housing member 12-1may be coupled to housing member 12-2 using housing member attachmentstructure 52, which may include metal traces for forming antenna 40 and,if desired, metal traces for forming force sensor 26.

The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can bemade to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may beimplemented individually or in any combination.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a compressiblemember having opposing first and second sides; a first printed circuithaving a first capacitive force sensor electrode on the first side ofthe compressible member; a second printed circuit having a secondcapacitive force sensor electrode on the second side of the compressiblemember; and an antenna resonating element on the first printed circuit.2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the compressiblemember comprises an elastomeric polymer.
 3. The electronic devicedefined in claim 1, wherein the antenna resonating element and the firstcapacitive force sensor electrodes are formed from separate metal traceson the first printed circuit.
 4. The electronic device defined in claim1, wherein the antenna resonating element and the first capacitive forcesensor electrodes are formed from a shared metal trace on the firstprinted circuit.
 5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, whereinthe first printed circuit has a portion that protrudes from a lateraledge of the compressible member, and the antenna resonating element isformed from a metal trace on the portion of the first printed circuit.6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the first printedcircuit comprises first and second overlapping metal traces, the firstmetal trace forming a signal routing path and the second metal traceforming the first capacitive force sensor electrode.
 7. The electronicdevice defined in claim 6, wherein the second printed circuit comprisesthird and fourth overlapping metal traces, the third metal trace formingan additional signal routing path and the fourth metal trace forming thesecond capacitive force sensor electrode.
 8. The electronic devicedefined in claim 1 further comprising: a housing, wherein the firstprinted circuit is coupled to a first portion of the housing and thesecond printed circuit is coupled to the second portion of the housing.9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising: a firstlayer of adhesive; and a second layer of adhesive, wherein the firstlayer of adhesive attaches the first printed circuit to the firstportion of the housing and the second layer of adhesive attaches thesecond printed circuit to the second portion of the housing.
 10. Theelectronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the antenna resonatingelement is formed from a metal trace on a protruding portion of thefirst printed circuit that overlaps the first portion of the housing.11. The electronic device defined in claim 10, wherein the first portionof the housing comprises a display cover layer.
 12. The electronicdevice defined in claim 8, wherein the second portion of the housingcomprises a sidewall that couples a display cover layer to a rearhousing wall.
 13. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein theantenna resonating element runs along an edge of the electronic device.14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising: anadditional antenna resonating element that runs along an additional edgeof the electronic device.
 15. The electronic device defined in claim 13,wherein the antenna resonating element is arranged in a phased antennaarray configured to perform beam steering operations.
 16. The electronicdevice defined in claim 1 further comprising: a display cover layer; ahousing member; and adhesive layers, wherein the compressible member,the first printed circuit, the second printed circuit, and the adhesivelayers form a housing member attachment structure that attaches asurface of the display cover layer and an opposing surface of thehousing member.
 17. An electronic device comprising: a housing; a forcesensor having first and second force sensor electrodes separated by acompressible material; capacitive sensor circuitry coupled to the firstand second force sensor electrodes and configured to receive forcesensing signals from the first and second force sensor electrodes; anantenna; radio-frequency transceiver circuitry coupled to the antennaand configured to use the antenna to convey antenna signals; and aprinted circuit attached to the housing, wherein the printed circuit hasa metal trace that forms the first force sensor electrode and that formsthe antenna.
 18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 furthercomprising: a capacitor that couples the radio-frequency transceivercircuitry to the metal trace; and an inductor that couples thecapacitive sensor circuitry to the metal trace.
 19. An electronic devicecomprising: a display cover layer; a housing member; a housing memberattachment structure having adhesive layers and printed circuitstructures with metal traces, wherein the housing member attachmentstructure attaches a surface of the display cover layer and an opposingsurface of the housing member; and an antenna structure formed on theprinted circuit structures.
 20. The electronic device defined in claim19 wherein the printed circuit structures comprise a first printedcircuit and a second printed circuit, the housing member attachmentstructure comprises a compressible member interposed between the firstprinted circuit and the second printed circuit, and the antennastructure is formed on the first printed circuit.